1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector including: a connector housing receiving terminals; and a case coupled to the connector housing and receiving ends of electric wires connected to the terminals in the connector housing, and relates to a connector to be connected to a power-receiving connector connected to a power-supply device in a vehicle such as an electric vehicle or a plug-in hybrid vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
A power-supply device including a plurality of batteries are mounted on a vehicle which is moved by a driving force of an electric motor such as an electric vehicle or a plug-in hybrid vehicle, and accumulates and discharges electric power. For charging the power-supply device, a power-receiving connector is mounted on a vehicle body of the vehicle. The power-supply device is charged by connecting the power-receiving connector with a power-supplying connector (for example, see Patent Document 1 to 3) connected to a battery charger or a home power supply via an electric wire.
The power-supplying connector includes: a connector housing receiving terminals; and a case coupled to the connector housing and receiving ends of electric wires connected to the terminals in the connector housing. The case includes a pair of case bodies made of insulating synthetic resin.
The pair of case bodies is formed substantially symmetrically. The pair of case bodies is assembled as the case such that end faces of the respective case bodies are overlapped with each other while one end of the housing is caught by the case bodies. Further, bolt holes are formed on respective case bodies. When the case bodies are assembled, the bolt holes communicate with each other. A bolt inserted into the bolt holes and a nut fix the pair of case bodies to each other.
When charging the vehicle, the case of the power-supplying connector is caught and moved to around the power-receiving connector, and the power-supplying connector is connected to the power-receiving connector. When the charge is finished, the case of the power-supplying connector is again caught, and the connection between the power-supplying connector and the power-receiving connector is released, and then the power-supplying connector is moved away from the power-receiving connector, namely, the vehicle.
[Patent Document 1] JP-A-H09-161882
[Patent Document 2] JP-A-H09-161884
[Patent Document 3] JP-A-H09-161898
Because the connecting works and the releasing works between the power-supplying connector and the power-receiving connector are frequently performed, the case may be damaged when the power-supplying connector falls down, or the case may become dirty due to a long time use. However, the case is a part of the assembled power-supplying connector, and if the case is disassembled, the electric wires are exposed, and a connector housing may be unfastened. Therefore, a user cannot easily exchange the case with a new case, and it is necessary to exchange the whole power-supplying connector. Thus, a maintenance cost is increased. Further, the nut and the bolt fix the pair of case bodies. Because the bolt and the nut are exposed on outer surfaces of the case bodies, a user can easily disassemble the case. Therefore, there is a security problem.
Further, because the case has a lot of chances for public exposure during the charge, it is desired that the case has a good design. However, when a design is painted on an outer surface of the case, the design is easy to be removed due to a falling of the case or a long time use of the case. Further, if the design on the case is removed, the case cannot easily be exchanged as described above. Accordingly, a color of the resin of which the case is made may be changed uniformly, or a plurality of resin having different colors may be used to make a design. However, there is a problem that the color of the resin is limited, and the design made by resin is monotonous.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve such a problem. Namely, the object of the present invention is to provide a connector to protect a case, and to allow the case to easily change a design thereof.